Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce has moved to reassure residents of New England about the impact of mining on key agricultural land amid reports an Australian miner will explore for gas in the Liverpool plains.

Fossil fuel giant Santos has lodged an application with the NSW government to explore gas in "PEL 1", a petroleum exploration license that covers an area south of Gunnedah, Fairfax reports, placing it in prime agricultural land and amid the bastion of fierce community resistance to CSG.

Joyce, who is also Nationals Leader and Agriculture Minister, last year opposed a massive Chinese-owned mine in the same region and is appearing in Tamworth on tonight's ABC's Q&A alongside former local MP Tony Windsor.

Joyce is facing a fierce battle to retain the seat in the face of opposition from Windsor who's making a comeback after retiring in 2013.

"There is a process that can, in fact, work, and it's an objective process. Both
Minister Joyce and Minister (Greg) Hunt have been complicit by neglect in terms of this particular issue."

The Q&A program has also covered other issues of particular interest to those in rural areas like access to health care, national broadband and whether those in regional Australia will potentially abandon the major parties at the election.